What does inspiration mean to you? How would you use your platform in your future career in healthcare to inspire and uplift others?

I have been fortunate to be inspired by many brilliant individuals in my life. However, I have always been inspired by the actions of these individuals, as I believe that inspiration comes from actions. In other words, the way that we interact with others, serve our community, and dedicate ourselves to bettering others is how we inspire. I plan to pursue a long and meaningful career in healthcare as a physician. A role that comes with great responsibility and an automatic platform to inspire many. I hope to use this platform to increase the healthcare advocacy work I have already been doing and inspire others to join the cause. Last summer, I had the privilege to work on a team of student researchers at Florida State University’s college of medicine on a research project addressing the social issue of Food Desserts and their detrimental impacts in rural Florida. The team and I complied statistics on the effects on both physical and Mental health living in area without access to fresh food can have as well as creating solutions to improve the problem.  My work however did not stop there, as I’ve spent the past year doing independent research on the subject and working with local organizations to address this issue. Additionally, I was able to give a speech to college students at State College of Florida to spread awareness about the topic. In the future, I would like to use my platform and resources as a physician to further this initiative and inspire others to join the cause. I hope to obtain a Master of Public Health in addition to my Medical Degree and work with policymakers to address a number of social issues related to healthcare. Through my work, I would ultimately like to enrich the lives and healthcare experiences of many and inspire others, especially African Americans such as myself to do the same.

What intentional actions are you currently taking to inspire people around you?

To me, inspiration is a matter of actions. We take inspiration from others based on their actions and traits. As someone who has been involved in community service for the majority of her life and accumulated over 400 service hours throughout my high school tenure, I believe that I have inspired many through my actions. I have seen this in my own community various times on both small and large scales. The first example that comes to mind for me is when I organized a book, and pajamas drive through my school’s Key Club. The purpose of this initiative was to provide underprivileged kids in local elementary schools with books and a set of pjs for the holiday season. As the President of my key club, we now continue to host this drive yearly during the holiday season and partner with local clubs in the area to spread the joy with as many as possible. Additionally, a number of these clubs have adopted this impactful tradition as they were inspired by the actions of my peers and I. Today, there are more underprivileged individuals than ever and giving back to these people through service is essential.  In addition to this project, my Key Club hosted a school wide hygiene drive collecting feminine products, body care, and oral cleansing products for a local women's shelter called our mother’s house. As a school, over 500 items were collected, shattering our record from the previous year. The other club officers and I personally delivered these products to the shelter and talked with some of the women that would benefit from our service. These actions have led to the enrichment of the lives of so many community members.

 Another example of a time when my actions had a positive impact was when I was a camp counselor. I served in this role for two weeks over the summer working  with  children aged 7-12. This wasn’t any ordinary camp however, as it was a theater camp with the goal of putting on an hour long theatrical production over the course of just 24 instructional hours (3 hours a day for 8 days in addition to dress rehearsals and auditions). There was a kid named Oliver, who had a hard time learning choreography and memorizing lines, and through my actions, I inspired him to achieve his full potential. I worked with him individually and helped him practice the complex dance numbers and his lines during our free time. Oliver did an amazing job in the performance and his parents even told me that he couldn’t stop talking about how he valued our time working together. Not only did this experience show me that I could make a real difference in someone’s life but it piqued my interest in theater and inspired me to join theatrical productions at my local community theater.

If granted the scholarship, describe how you would utilize the award to propel yourself towards your goals and continue serving as a source of inspiration to others.

If I was afforded the privilege of being named a recipient of the “Desire to Inspire scholarship” I would use the scholarship money to further my academic endeavors and prepare myself for a future in healthcare. I am currently a full- time dual enrolled high school student obtaining my associates degree and plan to continue my education at a 4-year university, and then medical school. I am aware that the journey ahead of me will require immense perseverance and sacrifice, however I am ready to dedicate myself to improving and saving those of others. It is no secret that receiving an education can be costly: not only mentally but there is a prominent financial aspect as well. I would use these funds to cover the fees associated with applying to and visiting colleges as well as any study materials or books that I would need in my first semester of college. As black women, we are unproportionately represented in medicine, making up only 2.8% of practicing physicians in the country, a number I one day hope to increase. With the aid of this scholarship, I hope to be an inspiration to all the little girls who look like me and are interested in joining the medical school. It is incredibly inspiring to see people who look like me living out my dreams, and I hope to be that for another person.